This is a relatively straight forward expedition into some really wild countryside in southeast Cumbria. You walk up to a largely pathless hill and across its broad plateau, then into some wild and lonely valleys, providing for some superlative views (in good weather), plenty of rough ground and a considerable navigational challenge (in bad weather). The route initially provides for some easy navigation though by following roads, then tracks along or close to drystone walls up onto the top plateau of Baugh Fell. You should reach the highest point of the route with its splendid views, in the Tarn Rigg Hill area of Baugh Fell, in about two hours.
Keep along the wall to a trigpoint on the subsidiary top of Knoutberry Haw before eventually turning right (north) away from the wall to cross the wide and substantially featureless plateau of Baugh Fell to West Baugh Fell Tarn some 1.5 kilometres away. The route described makes use of some of the few distinguishable features on the plateau to enhance the chances of getting to the tarn without problems.
From the tarn, descend the north easterly flank of Baugh Fell via a smaller tarn and then pathless through rough pasture for 1.3 kilometres to a bend in the infant Rawthey River (obvious in clear weather, but good compassing work is needed in low clouds or mist). There, you ford the two streams that form the river and scramble up briefly across some steep grass to pick up the A Pennine Journey Long-Distance Path, a mostly good path along the hill flank. It leads into the lonely haunting Grisedale, crossing a few streams and soggy stretches along the way, to pick up a gravel farm track for a while. The descent off Grisedale Common/Turner Hill into the infant Ure Valley again crosses some rough pasture along an intermittent path. A loop across the Ure River and past the pretty Ure Force (waterfall) and The Moorcock Inn (licensed tearoom) finishes this exciting adventure.
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N=12 at the start, 2 of those up from Leeds. Drizzle soon developed and when we started the ascent proper though long grass and on a soggy path, it turned to rain, at times hard and from the half left ahead and in strong wind. 4 took that as a cue to turn back (either to the station or via the Ure Force to the station), while ground conditions then improved and the track was more discernible and the grass shorter. At around 11.00 the rain kind of finished, but we still walked through driving low clouds, ie without views. At the highest point, the walk author amused himself more than anyone else by reading out the chapter of the directions detailing the views we could have had. The subsequent crossing of the plateau to the large tarn 1.5 km away was painfree, gpx and text standing up to the task. Next up the ankle breaking pathless descent through tussock, grass and past hidden holes. Lunch at 12.45 after the crossing of the first of two streams that form the River Rawthey. We soon picked up a soggy path that gradually improved, into the lonely Grisedale. Rain had ceased, the hill we had left behind was now cloud free and even the sun made an appearance.
The Ure Force was passed soon enough and one advance walker had made sure that The Woodcock Inn did not close before we got there. 30 minutes for tea, scones and beer, 16.00 train. Seen: beautiful sheep (Herdwicks), beautiful cows (startled to see people at the back end of beyond), ground nesters, Ingleborough and Whernside (eventually) and some dead rabbits and moles, and an injured bird. Some fighter jets above repeatedly.
Remote, wet, without views, rough, tough, wild. But spirits never dropped. Great day out. W=rainy-start-improving-eventually-to-overcast-with-breaks-always-windy
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